Gateway SOLO 3350 User Manual
Contents
1 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 3350. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Indicator light panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Function key combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Using the touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Connecting the modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Connecting the network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3 Windows Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
About the Windows environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Desktop items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Window items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Using the Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Working with files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
About drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
About folders and files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Copying and moving files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Deleting files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Browsing for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Using the Windows Me or Windows 2000 Search utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Using the Windows 98 Find utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Working with documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
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Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Printing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Transferring software and hardware from your old computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Transferring files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Transferring Internet settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Reinstalling your old printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Reinstalling your old programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
4 Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Learning about the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Setting up an Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Accessing your Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Using the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Connecting to a Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Downloading files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Checking your e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
5 Using Multimedia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Connecting the external drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Using diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Using the CD/DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Inserting a CD/DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Listening to music CDs in Windows Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Listening to music CDs in Windows 98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Recording and playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Playing audio and video files with Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Using MusicMatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Playing CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Creating music files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Building a music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Changing the music library display settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Editing track information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Listening to Internet radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Using advanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
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6 Sending and Receiving Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Setting up your cover page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Sending a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Faxing from programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Receiving and viewing a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
7 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Changing automatic p ower settings in Windo ws Me, Window s 98, or
Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Changing power settings in Windows NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Changing SpeedStep settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
8 Travel Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
9 Customizing Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Adjusting the screen and desktop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Adjusting the color depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Adjusting the screen area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Applying a color scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Changing the desktop background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Selecting a screen saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
10 Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Adding PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Replacing the hard drive kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Installing Memory and Replacing the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Removing the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Replacing the memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Replacing the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
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11 Using the Port Repl icator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148
Connecting to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
12 Networking Your Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
Using a home network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Sharing a single Internet connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Sharing MP3 audio and MPEG video files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Sharing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
Sharing a printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
Playing multi-player games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
Introducing the Gateway Connected Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
Components of a Gateway Connected Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Selecting a connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158
What are HPNA and Ethernet? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158
Assessing your connection needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
Comparing data transfer speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
Connected home shopping list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
HPNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
13 Maintaining Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
Caring for your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
Creating an emergency startup diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Protecting your computer from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
Managing hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
Checking hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
Using Disk Cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
Scanning the hard drive for errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173
Defragmenting the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
Backing up files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
Using Maintenance Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178
Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Cleaning your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180
Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180
Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181
Cleaning the screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181
Cleaning the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181
14 Using Gateway GoBack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
About Gateway GoBack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184
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Using Gateway GoBack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Recovering a file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Going back to an earlier hard drive state . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Using Gateway GoBack if your computer will not start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Turning off Gateway GoBack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Clearing Gateway GoBack history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Starting your computer using a diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Changing Gateway GoBack’s storage capacity and location . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Updating your Gateway GoBack software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Getting help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
15 Reinstalling Device Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Reinstalling device dr ivers in Windows 98, Windows Me, or Windows 2000 . . . . 206
Updating device driv ers in Windows 98, Windows Me, or Windo ws 2000 . . . . . . 208
Reinstalling Windows NT 4.0 device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Locating Windows NT 4.0 drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Reinstalling Windows NT 4.0 video device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Reinstalling Windows NT 4.0 audio device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Reinstalling Windows NT 4.0 modem device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Reinstalling Windows NT 4.0 network device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Reinstalling the Windows NT Service Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
16 Restoring Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Reinstalling Windows 98, Windows Me, or Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Reinstalling Windows NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Reinstalling programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
17 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
CD/DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Device installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
LCD panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
v
Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245
PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246
Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
ScanDisk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248
Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248
Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249
18 Getting Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
HelpSpot™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252
HelpSpot videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254
Software support tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256
Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259
Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260
Before calling Gateway technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260
Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261
Tutoring and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262
Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262
Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262
Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263
A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
vi
Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 3350
Tips & Tricks To access the contents of this manual while you are
traveling, download the manual from
www.gateway.com/support/manlib/.
1
1
Front
Release latch
Power
indicator
light
Battery
indicator
light
Component Icon Description
Release latch Open the noteboo k cov er b y sliding the re lease latch to the
right.
Power indicator light Lights up when the notebook is turned on and shows
notebook power status:
■
Steady green light indicates that power is on and the
notebook is in operation.
■
Flashing green light indicates that the notebook is in
standby mode.
■
No light indicates that the notebook is off.
Battery indicator light Indicates the battery status while the AC power adapter is
plugged in:
■
Green light indicates that the battery is fully charged.
■
Orange light indicates that the battery is charging.
■
Red light indicates a battery error.
2 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 3350
Left
Ventilation fan
(do not block)
Microphone jack
USB port
Spea ker ja ck
Component Icon Description
Ventilation fan Helps cool system components. Do not block.
Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack. While the external
microphone is connected, the built-in microphone is
disabled.
Speaker jack Plug external speakers or headphones into this jack.
USB port Plug a USB (UniversalSerial Bus) device (such as a USB
Iomega™ Zip™ drive, scanner, or camera) into this port.
Left 3
Right
Kensington
lock slot
Hard drive
PC Card
eject button
PC Card
slot
Component Icon Description
Kensington™ lock slot Secure your computer to an object by connecting a
Kensington cable l ock to this s lot.
Hard drive The hard drive is stored here.
PC C ard eject button Press the eject button to remove the PC Card from the
PC Card slot. For more information, see “Adding PC Cards”
on page 132.
PC C ard slot Inser t a Type I or II PC Card into this slot. For more
information, see “Adding PC Cards” on page 132.
4 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 3350
Back
Ethernet
jack
Modem
jack
Monitor
port
Parallel
port
External drive
connection
Power
connection
PS/2
port
Component Icon Description
Ethernet jack (optional) Plug an Ethernet 10/100 network cable into this jack.
Modem jack Plug a modem cable into this jack.
Monitor port Plug an external (VGA) monitor into this port.
Parallel port Plug a parallel device (such as a printer) into this port.
External drive connection Plug the external drive cable into this connection.
Power connection Plug the AC power adapter cable into this connection.
PS/2 port Plug a PS/2 (Personal System/2™) device (such as a
keyboard or mouse) into this port.
Back 5
Bottom
System
label
Hard
drive
bay
Docking
port
Reset
hole
Speaker
Battery
bay
Battery
status
indicator
Battery
release
latch
Component Icon Description
Docking port Connect an optional port replicator to this port.
Warning! Power is passed through this connection. This
docking connection is UL certified for use only with Solo
3350 port replicator devices.
Reset hole If the system does not respond to input and you cannot use
the shut down pr ocedure, press a st raightened paper clip into
this hole to turn off the system.
Speaker Provides audio output. The speaker is turned off while
headphones are connected.
6 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 3350
Component Icon Description
Battery release latch Slide to release the battery.
Battery status indicator Press to see the charge level of the battery. A full charge is
indicated by four lights.
Battery bay The notebook uses power from this battery while not
connected to AC power.
Hard drive bay The hard drive is stored here.
System label Includes the product model number and serial number.
Bottom 7
Indicator light panel
A
1
Power
button
Hard drive
Scroll lock
Pad lo ck
Caps lock
Microphone
Indicator Icon Description
Power button Press to turn the power on or off. You can also configure
the button to operate in Standby/Resume mode or
Hibernate mode. For more information on config uring the
power button mode, see “Changing power modes” on
page 105.
Hard drive Turns on when the hard drive is in use.
Pad Lock Turns on when the embedded numeric keypad is
1
Caps Lock Tur ns on when Caps Lock is activated.
Scroll Lock Tur ns on when Scroll Lock is activated.
activated.
Microphone Record audio through this microphone. The built-in
microphone is turned off while an e x ternal microphone is
connected.
8 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 3350
Accessories
Gateway offers accessories that can help you make the most of using your
notebook.
Batteries and automobile/airplane power adapt ers
If you run your notebook on battery power for extended periods, you may
want to buy an additional battery so that you can swap batteries when
necessary.
With an automobile/airplane power adapter, you can save battery power by
plugging your notebook into an automobile cigarette lighter or an airplane
in-flight power receptacle.
Carrying cases
Gateway has large-capacity carrying cases if you need additional space for
accessories or supplies.
External drive module
Y our notebook has an optional external drive bay tha t lets you use a removable
drive such as a diskette drive or CD /DVD drive. To change drives, you need
to replace the drive module in the drive bay.
Port replicator
Although you can attach external devices directly to your notebook, a port
replicator lets you make all of those connections at once. When you travel
with your notebook, you merely disconnect from the port replicator instead
of unplugging all the external devices.
A port replicator also provides additional ports and o ther expansion features
not included with your notebook. For more information, see “Using the Port
Replicator” on page 147
External devices
Y ou can attach external devices suc h as a keyboard, mouse, printer, o r monitor
to your notebook or docking station.
Memory
Large programs, such as multimedia games or graphics programs, use a lot of
memory. If your programs are running more slowly than you think they
should, try adding more memory. For more information, see “Replacing the
memory” on page 142.
Accessories 9
Printers
You can attach almost any type of printer to your computer. The most
common types are inkjet and laser printers, which print in color or black and
white.
Inkjet printers and cartridges are relatively inexpensive, but usually they are
slower than laser printers. Using an inkjet color printer, you ca n print pictures,
banners, and greeting cards, as well as documents.
Laser printers and cartridges are more expensive, but usually they print much
faster than inkjet printers. Laser printers are better than inkjet printers when
you are printing large documents.
10 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 3350
Getting Started
This chapter provides basic information about your Gateway notebook. Read
this chapter to find out:
■ How to connect the AC power adapter
■ How to start and turn off your notebook
■ How to use the keyboard
■ How to use the EZ Pa d™ touch pad
■ How to connect the modem
■ How to con nect to a networ k
■ How to insta ll peripheral d evices
2
11
Connecting the A C adapter
Y ou can run y our notebook using an AC adapter or the notebook battery . The
battery was shipped to you partially charged. You should use the AC adapter
right away to fully charge the battery.
Important If the battery is not fully charged before you use your
notebook on battery pow er f or the first tim e, the battery lif e
may be much shorter than you expect. If the battery life
seems short even after being charged for 24 hours, the
battery may need to be recalibrated. For information on
recalibrating the b attery , se e “Recalibr ating the ba ttery” on
page 179.
To connect the AC adapter:
1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter, then plug it in to a wall power
outlet.
Warning Replace the power cord if it becomes damaged. The
12 Getting Started
replacement cord must be of the same type and voltage
rating as the original cord or the notebook may be
damaged.
2 Connect the AC ad apter to your notebook’s power connector.
The battery charging indicator light turns on. If the battery charging
indicator light does not turn on, disconnect the adapter from your
notebook and repeat Step 2.
3 When you finish using your notebook, turn the notebook off and leave
the notebook connected to AC power for at least 24 hours. The battery
charge meters may not show a charge for several hours. For more
information about battery meters, see “Monitoring the battery charge”
on page 102.
4 If the battery meters do not show a full charge after 24 hours, contact
technical support at www.gateway.com/support/contact.
Warning Do not attempt to disassemble the ACadapter. The
AC adapter has no user-replaceable or user-serviceable
parts inside. The A C adapter has dangerous v o ltages that
can cause serious injury or dea th. Contact G ate wa y about
returning defective AC adapters.
Connecting the AC adapter 13
Protecting from power source problems
During a power surge, the voltage level of electricity coming into your
computer can increase to far above normal levels and cause data loss or system
damage. Protect your computer and peripherals by connecting them to a surge
protector, which will absorb voltage surges and prevent them from reaching
your computer.
Warning High voltages can enter your computer through both the
power cord and the modem connection. Protect your
computer by using a surge protector. If you have a
telephone modem, use a surge protector that has a
modem jack. If you have a cable modem, use a surge
protector that has an antenna/cable TV jack. During an
electrical storm, unplug both the surge protector and the
modem.
14 Getting Started
Starting your notebook
To start the notebook:
1 Open your notebook by sliding the latch on the front of your notebook
to the right and lifting the LCD panel.
2 Press the power button located above the keyboard.
Power button
The power button is preset to On/Off mode. However, you can also set
it to function in Standby/Resume mode. For instructions on changing
the power button mode, see “Changing p ower modes” on page 105.
3 If you are starting your computer for the first time, follow the on-screen
instructions to set up your computer.
Starting your notebook 15
W aking up your notebook
When you have not used your notebook for several minutes, it may go into
a basic power-saving mode which turns off your LCD and hard drive. Two
advanced pow er-saving modes (call ed Standby and Hibernate) are also available
for the Solo 3350. While in Standby, the power indicator light flashes.
When you are ready to use your notebook after the screen has gone into basic
power-saving mod e, wake it up by pressing a button or key on the key board .
If your notebook has gone into Standby or Hibernate mode, wake it up by
briefly pressing the power button. For more information on changing
power-saving settings, see “Extending battery life” on page 104.
16 Getting Started
Turning off y our notebook
To turn off your notebook:
1 Click Start, then select Shut Down. The Shut Down Windows dialog box
opens.
2 Select Shut down.
3 Click OK. Windows shuts down and turns off your notebook.
Important If for some reason you cannot use the Shut down option
in Windows to turn off your notebook, press and hold the
power button for about five seconds.
Turning off your notebook 17
Using the keyboar d
Your notebook features a keyboard that has the same functionality as a
desktop computer keyboard. Many of the keys have been assign ed alternate
functions. The alternate function is printed on the key in green text.
F
N key
Windows
Key
Function keys
Numeric
keypad
Application
key
Navigation keys
Arrow keys/
Brightness
controls
18 Getting Started
Keys
Keys Icons Description
Function keys Press these keys to perform actions in programs.
For example, pressing F1 may open help.
Each program uses different function keys for
different purposes. Refer to the program
documentation to find out more about the function
key actions.
N key Pre ss the FN key in combination w ith a Function key
F
(such as F4 or F10) to p erf orm a specifi c action. F or
more information, see “Function k ey combinations ”
on page 20.
Windows keys Press to open the Windows Start menu.
Numeric keypad Use these keys to type numbers when Pad Lock is
turned on. Press
keypad.
Applicatio n key Press for quick access to sh ortcut menu s an d hel p
assistants i n Windows.
FN+F9 to turn on the numeric
Arrow keys/
Brightness controls
Navigation keys Press these keys to move the cursor up or down a
Press these keys to move the cursor up, down, right,
or left. When used with the F
control the screen brightness.
page, or to the beginning or end of a document.
N key, these also
Using the keyboard 19
Function key combin ations
When you press an FN key and a Function key at the same time, the notebook
performs the action identified by the green text on the key.
FN and this
Press
function key...
To...
Open the power st atus bo x in the upper left corner of y our scree n.
The menu shows the battery charge level, the BIOS version, and
whether the AC power adapter is being used.
Toggle the notebook screen between the LCD, an external
monitor, or both displays at the same time.
Enable Standby mode (Windows 98, Windows 2000, and
Windows Me) or Suspend mode (Window s NT) on your notebook.
Press the power button to exit Standby or Suspend mode.
Decrease volume.
Increase volume.
Mute the sound. Press the key combination again to restore the
sound.
20 Getting Started
Tur n on Pad Lock so you can use the numeric keypad. The
Pad Lock status indicator ap pears while th is functio n is turned on.
Press the key combination again to turn off Pad Lock.
Pause the text scrol lin g i n a D OS s creen . T he Scro ll Lo ck sta tus
indicator ap pears wh en this f unctio n is tur ned on. Press the key
combination again to continue scrolling. (This function is only
available in some programs.)
Pause text scrolling. Press any key to continue the text scrolling.
(This function is only available in some programs.)
Press FN a nd this
function key...
To...
Stop the cur rently r unning D OS program. (This func tion is on ly
available in some pr ograms.)
Increase the brightness of the screen.
Decrease the brightness of the screen.
Using the keyboard 21
Using the EZ P ad touchpad
The EZ Pad™ consists of a touchpad and two buttons.
Touchpad Pad buttons
When you move your finger on the touchpad, the pointer (arrow) on the screen
moves in the sam e directi on.
You can use the EZ-Pad left and right buttons below the touchpad to select
objects.
22 Getting Started
Using the touchpad
To... Do this...
Move the poin ter
on the screen.
Select an object
on the screen.
Start a program
or open a file or
folder.
Move y our finger around on the
touchpad. If you run out of
space on your t ouchpad an d
need to move the pointer
farther, lift your finger, move it
to the middle of the touchpad,
then continue moving your
finger.
Position the point er over the
object. Press the left button
below the touc hpad o nce . This
action is called clicking.
Position the point er over the
object. Press the left button
below the touchpad twice in
rapid succession. This action is
called double-clicking.
Access a
shortcut menu or
find more
information
about an object
on the screen.
Position the point er over the
object. Quickly press and
release the right button once.
This action is called
right-clicking.
Using the EZ Pad touchpad 23
To... Do this...
Move an object
on the screen.
Position the point er over the
object. Press the left button
and hold it down, then use the
touchpad to move (drag) the
object to the appropriate part of
the screen. Release the b utton
to drop the object where you
want it.
24 Getting Started
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